A secure blockchain-based architecture for the COVID-19 data network

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world economy and mainly all activities where social distancing cannot be respected. In order to control this pandemic, screening tests such as PCR have become essential. For example, in the case of a trip, the traveler must carry out a PCR test within 72 hours before his departure and if he is not a carrier of the COVID-19, he can therefore travel by presenting, during check-in and boarding, the negative result sheet to the agent. The latter will then verify the presented sheet by trusting: (a) the medical biology laboratory, (b) the credibility of the traveler for not having changed the PCR result from “positive to negative”. Therefore, this confidence and this verification are made without being based on any mechanism of security and integrity, despite the great importance of the PCR test results to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, we propose in this paper a blockchain-based decentralized trust architecture that aims to guarantee the integrity, immutability and traceability of COVID-19 test results. Our proposal also aims to ensure the interconnection between several organizations (airports, medical laboratories, cinemas, etc.) in order to access COVID-19 test results in a secure and decentralized manner.